07 September, 2024

Nicchu Line and its ruins

On 1 April 1984, Nicchu Line in Northeastern Japan was closed. It was just 11.6 km (7.2 miles) long, a small rural railway operated by Japanese National Railways. 40 years have passed since then, but its ruins remain as a museum and a promenade. They are not well-known tourist spots but worth a visit.


Nicchu Line opened in 1938 between Kitakata and Atsushio stations in Fukushima Prefecture. It was supposed to be part of so-called Yagan-u Line connecting Imaichi in Tochigi Prefecture and Yonezawa in Yamagata Prefecture. The proposed Yagan-u Line was parallel to an old road called Shimotsuke Kaido that dates back to the mid-17th century. Shimotsuke Kaido was part of the shortest route between Edo (now Tokyo) and Aizu Province and thus heavily used for distribution of goods (e.g. salt, hemp) as well as transporting rice. Hence, the Japanese Government decided to construct a new railway in 1922.

The Yagan-u Line project was unsuccessful. A year after Nicchu Line opened, the Second Sino-Japanese War began. In addition, the Second World War devastated everything in the country so that the project was effectively abandoned by JNR.

The word Nicchu usually means daytime in Japanese, and it sometimes mean Japan-China relation. However, Nicchu Line was derived from a nearby hot spring called Nicchu Onsen. Due to the small number of services, it was often called "Nicchu Line that never runs in the daytime". In fact, there had only been three trains a day since 1958. The below timetables show how many trains ran in 1968, and there had only been a minimal change after that.

(Northbound)
 Kitakata  6:12  16:01  18:35 
 Aizu-Muramatsu  6:20  16:09  18:43 
 Kamisanmiya  6:26  16:16  18:50 
 Aizu-Kano  6:40  16:31  18:59 
 Atsushio  6:49  16:39  19:08 

(Southbound)
 Atsushio  7:02  16:50  19:18 
 Aizu-Kano  7:15  17:04  19:30 
 Kamisanmiya  7:23  17:11  19:37 
 Aizu-Muramatsu  7:29  17:19  19:43 
 Kitakata  7:35  17:25  19:49 

Atsushio station building had been well known as an adorable western-style one. It was about to fall into ruin, but fortunately JNR decided not to tear it down when the line was permanently closed. It was repaired and became Nicchu Line Museum in 1987, owned and managed by Kitakata City Board of Education.


The museum is free of charge, though donation is appreciated. There were quite a few photos, tickets and signboards of Nicchu Line as well as uniforms of staff. Tracks were removed by 1985, but the space is now used as a playground for children as well.


There are two static displays. This is 60 series coach (OHaFu 61-2752), converted in 1955 from an even older wooden carriage. Nicchu Line services were always loco-hauled and no diesel multiple unit was used until the very end. There is also Ki 100 series snow blower by the coach.


Outside the station building, there are disused level crossings and a turntable. The turntable, which is 200 yards south of the station itself, was abandoned by the early-1940s as Nicchu Line was so short and trains were so slow that there was no need to reverse a steam locomotive. The maximum speed of the line was set to 75 km/h (46 mph), but it is hard to believe that trains ran at such speed.


There is another ruin of Nicchu Line: a promenade often used by local residents. It now looks like an ordinary road for pedestrians and bicycles, but there was a train track until 40 years ago. Rails were mostly removed, but remain for a few metres with a steam locomotive Class C11 and an old shunter. The promenade is also known for having more than 1,000 cherry trees (weeping cherry trees), and it is one of the best cherry blossoms spot in Fukushima Prefecture.

Both the museum and the promenade are not close to the city centre of Kitakata. In fact, it is difficult to access to the museum without car. Even so, they are disused railway facilities that have successfully been managed by local governments, and thus anyone visiting the area are recommended adding them to their itinerary.

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24 August, 2024

Adverse effect of Suica network expansion

JR East has been expanding Suica network, which a contactless smart card for train fare payment, can be used. In spring 2025, "Tokyo Suburbs" (東京近郊区間) will be extended from Matsumoto to Nagano (Shinonoi and Shin-etsu Main Line) and Hodaka (Oito Line), allowing passengers to use their Suica or other similar cards (e.g. PASMO and ICOCA). This decision has mostly been welcomed by tourists and businesspeople across the region, but there is an adverse effect: a ticket will be valid only for a day regardless of distance, and nobody will be allowed to break one's journey even when using a paper ticket.

Breaking a journey or a stopover is called 途中下車 (tochu gesha) in Japanese. According to Article 156 of the Rules of Passenger Services, a passenger having a certain standard fare ticket can make unlimited stopovers, specifically:

  • If the journey is longer than 100 km; AND
  • No backtrack or passing a station/section more than twice; OR
  • Unless specifically written on the ticket.
  • If the journey starts from or ends at certain zones (namely Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, Niigata, Sendai and nearby areas thereof), it is NOT allowed to make a stopover inside those zones.
  • Different rules may be applied to a journey via Shinkansen high-speed rail.

The problem is the fourth condition. Generally speaking, Tokyo suburbs means the Greater Tokyo Area, which consists of Greater Tokyo, Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa Prefectures. In some cases, Gunma, Tochigi and Ibaraki Prefectures are also included, and these six prefectures and Tokyo are commonly known as Kanto region. However, JR East adopts its own definition that is far wider than them. The following map shows how disproportionately large it is. Hodaka station is not included as it is just 16 km (10 miles) from Matsumoto.


(*The map is based on the one provided by Illust Stock, and used in accordance with its terms & policies.)

The map above shows stations outside the Kanto region but still being included in the "Tokyo Suburbs" that JR East defines. Namie, Matsumoto and Ito stations are the end of the Suburbs though they are in Fukushima, Nagano and Shizuoka Prefectures respectively. Stations as far as Nagano will also be covered in spring as mentioned further above. The table below shows how distant those stations are from Tokyo or the closest station in the genuine Greater Tokyo Area.

 Namie  274 km from Tokyo  90 km from Ōtsukō 
 Matsumoto  235 km from Tokyo  169 km from Fujino 
 Ito  121 km from Tokyo  22 km from Yugawara 
 (Nagano*)  298 km from Tokyo  232 km from Fujino 
(*Via Chuo Main Line. Hokuriku Shinkansen is excluded as different rules are applied.)

The least controversial one might be Ito station, which is less than 14 miles from Yugawara station in Kanagawa Prefecture. However, it is hard to find any justification with regard to the other three.

Suica and relevant cards are available in the area, but it might not be beneficial for long-distance travellers. In accordance with the aforementioned Rules, any journey in the "Tokyo Suburbs" regardless of distance does not allow a stopover even with a paper ticket. Therefore, for example, a person from Mito to Matsumoto can never break his or her journey at Tokyo or Shinjuku despite the distance of the entire journey being more than 370 km (230 miles). This figure is longer than the journey between Tokyo and Nagoya or Sendai, or the one between Osaka and Hiroshima.


Buying two or more separate tickets will be costly. There is a solution to avoid the rules being applied even though they are not always feasible. If a journey starts or ends near any "border" stations of the Suburbs, buy a ticket from or to an adjacent station. For example, Kofu station is a border of JR East and JR Central. When going from Tokyo to Kofu, buy a ticket from Tokyo to Kanente station, less than a mile from Kofu station. Kanente is on Minobu Line operated by JR Central so that the ticket will not be subject to the Rules, and thus it will be allowed to break one's journey (and the ticket will be valid for two days). However, anyone who tries this method should be careful as the entire cost could be higher in some cases as the distance will be longer.

Suica extension is generally welcomed by local residents and tourists as it is simply convenient, but it is not always beneficial for long-distance travellers. Fare calculation is always extremely confusing in any country, but it is essential to study it to avoid unnecessary expenditures.

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10 August, 2024

Stopgap trains for Chuo Line

Chuo Line (Rapid) is arguably the most important and heavily used commuter rail in Tokyo. It has always been known since the late-1950s for having rolling stock with the latest technologies as they are developed. Today, the short-distance services are mostly provided by 10-car E233 series, and two Green Cars (first class coaches) will be inserted to each unit next year...but there are exceptions.


Those who frequently use Chuo Line may have seen old-fashioned trains. They are 209 series, which have been well-maintained, but they do not appear as clean as the E233 series due to their age. The 209 series have slightly better acceleration than that of the E233 series, but their air-conditioning is not as good as the newer trains and there is no TV-like monitors above each door. Hence, not a few commuters are dissatisfied with them.


The two 10-car 209 series units were initially introduced to Joban Line (Local) and through-service to Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line in 1999. They were replaced with the E233 series in 2018 as the 209 series was not compatible with through-service to Odakyu lines. Most railway enthusiasts believed that they would soon be sent for scrap as they were nearly 20 years old then.


However, both units made a dramatic comeback in the following year. As Chuo Line trains were to be equipped with Green Cars and an accessible toilet, JR East decided to use them as spare units and avoid train shortages while the E233 series on Chuo Line was being converted. A trade union anticipated that the stopgap trains would be operational for five more years.

As the 209 series units are old and very different to the E233 series, they generally run between Tokyo and Takao stations in accordance with fixed schedules. Their work always start from and end at Toyoda station, which is adjacent to a depot they belong. Even when there is a sudden change due to disruptions (which are quite common), robust adjustments are always made to ensure that they terminate at Toyoda station at night, no matter how confusing it may be for both passengers and staff.


Everybody knows that the stopgap trains will be withdrawn by 2025 when all commuter trains on Chuo Line are rearranged from 10 to 12 coaches including Green Cars. However, the trade union revealed that Train Automatic Stop-position Controller, a train protection system and automated stopping aid which 209 series is not compatible with, will be in use "no earlier than September this year". Hence, both 209 series units might retire as early as late-September.

Those who wish to see the 209 series should do so before it is too late. The current fixed schedules for the 209 series are as follows ("M-K" means Musashi-Koganei, bold letters means Chuo Special Rapid services). Note that an ordinary E233 series could run instead when the 209 series is not available due to minor maintenance work.

97T
(Weekdays)
 Toyoda (5:44) → Tokyo (6:40) 
 Tokyo (6:46) → Takao (7:57) 
 Takao (8:03) → Tokyo (9:19) 
 Tokyo (9:22) → Toyoda (10:22) 
 Toyoda (15:39) → Tokyo (16:42) 
 Tokyo (16:48) → Takao (18:02) 
 Takao (18:13) → Tokyo (19:24) 
 Tokyo (19:26) → Toyoda (20:28) 
 Toyoda (20:35) → Tokyo (21:35) 
 Tokyo (21:38) → Toyoda (22:40) 

99T
(Weekdays only)
 Toyoda (06:07) → Takao (6:18) 
 Takao (6:26) → Tokyo (7:45) 
 Tokyo (7:47) → Takao (8:59) 
 Takao (9:05) → Tokyo (10:23) 
 Tokyo (10:27) → Takao (11:44) 
 Takao (11:51) → Tokyo (12:52) 
 Tokyo (12:58) → Takao (14:14) 
 Takao (14:23) → Tokyo (15:45) 
 Tokyo (15:51) → Takao (16:51) 
 Takao (17:02) → Tokyo (18:06) 
 Tokyo (18:10) → M-K (18:50) 
 M-K (19:08) → Tokyo (19:50) 
 Tokyo (19:55) → Tachikawa (20:50) 
 Tachikawa (20:57) → Tokyo (21:51) 
 Tokyo (7:47) → Takao (8:59) 
 Tokyo (21:55) → Toyoda (22:59) 

97T
(Weekends & Holidays)
 Toyoda (12:00) → Tokyo (13:00) 
 Tokyo (13:03) → Toyoda (14:02) 
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27 July, 2024

HITACHI, from Tokyo to Sendai

Introduction

Sendai, a city in Miyagi Prefecture with a population of 1.1 million people, is approximately 305 km (190 miles) northeast of Tokyo. Most people use Shinkansen high-speed rail, but there is another railway that connects the two cities: Limited Express Hitachi. This article is about its timetables, fares and comparison with Shinkansen and other alternatives. There are also old timetables of Hitachi.


What is Hitachi?

Hitachi often refers to a company specialising in high technology, developing and producing various things including nuclear power plants, trains, lifts and escalators as well as healthcare products. However, Hitachi in this article means a series of limited express service operated by JR East.

The name of limited express Hitachi stems from Hitachi Province, which was first established in the late 7th century. Today, it mostly corresponds to the same area as Ibaraki Prefecture, which is why the limited express has been named as such.


Limited express Hitachi mostly runs between Shinagawa in Tokyo and Iwaki in Fukushima Prefecture via Joban line, and all services have been heavily used by businesspeople. In addition, there is a similar limited express called Tokiwa, which is shorter and call at more stations than Hitachi.

Just three out of fifteen services in each direction per day are extended to Sendai. Hitachi between Shinagawa and Sendai is the second longest train service in Japan (in terms of distance, excluding bullet trains and night trains) after limited express Nichirin Seagaia that runs between Hakata and Miyazaki Airport via Oita.

All services have been provided by E657 series since 2015. As it happens, 60 out of 190 carriages in total were built by rolling stock manufacturing division of Hitachi, Ltd.


These services call at small stations on the Pacific coast of Fukushima Prefecture including Futaba, the closest station to Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. The area has been decontaminated so that the station and a nearby community centre are no longer off-limits, but a large part of the town has had a high level of radiation, and thus it has still been designated as "difficult-to-return zone". That is why, the station itself looks abandoned even thirteen years after the triple disasters.


Timetables

A trip between Tokyo and Sendai stations by the fastest high-speed train, Hayabusa on Tohoku Shinkansen, takes just 90 minutes. Meanwhile, even the fastest Hitachi between those stations takes nearly 4.5 hours. Timetables as of 2024 are as follows.


They are clearly not for passengers going from Tokyo to Sendai and vice versa. Given that all of these trains call at small stations in Fukushima and northern Ibaraki Prefectures, it seems that JR East targets businesspeople to and local residents in the area. In fact, when I took Hitachi 3 from Tokyo to Sendai, nobody on a carriage I had been went through the entire journey.


The journey was more comfortable than I thought, probably because the train has been equipped with active suspension (though the train got a little bumpy in the disaster zone due to poor maintenance work). This is how a standard-class seat looks like. It is spacious and has a reclining function and a table. Free Wi-Fi is also available. A trolley service with foods and drinks is available on some trains.


Fares

JR bullet trains and limited express trains require a special ticket in addition to a standard fare ticket, and Hitachi is no exception. A pair of single tickets from Tokyo to Sendai (and vice versa) costs as follows. Note that all fares are normal period prices (not peak, busy or off-peak periods) as of 2024.

   Tohoku Shinkansen   
 Hayabusa  Yamabiko  Hitachi 
 Standard fare  6,050 yen  6,050 yen  6,380 yen 
 Additional fare  5,360 yen  5,040 yen  2,900 yen 
 Total amount  11,410 yen  11,090 yen  9,280 yen 
 Journey time  90 mins  120 mins  4.5 hrs 

Hitachi is cheaper than bullet trains, but given the duration of the journey, it might not offer good value for money. Eki-net, an online reservation service that is highly unpopular even among Japanese users due to an unfriendly user interface and lack of coverage, offers discount tickets for smartphone app users.

   Tohoku Shinkansen   
 Hayabusa  Yamabiko  Hitachi 
 Paper 
tickets		 11,410 yen  11,090 yen  9,280 yen 
 e-ticket  11,210 yen  10,890 yen  9,180 yen 
 Ticketless 
35% off		 -  -  8,260 yen 

The 35% discount for Hitachi is applied only to a limited express ticket while the standard fare remains unchanged. Hence, even with the Eki-net, it is not as cheap as everybody expected.

Another option is that purchasing a single ticket from "Tokyo to Ueno via Joban line, Sendai and Tohoku Shinkansen (or via Tohoku Shinkansen, Sendai and Joban line)", in which case a de facto return standard ticket costs 9,870 yen while a genuine return standard ticket is 12,100 yen. A long one-way ticket is generally cheaper than a return ticket of the same distance, and with the Eki-net discount, it could be much cheaper. However, this option is not available for those going from Sendai to Tokyo.

Even so, none of them is cheaper than coaches. A coach between Shinjuku Bus Terminal and Sendai usually costs 3,000 – 5,000 yen. It takes around five hours (or more when there is a traffic jam), but it is always more attractive than trains when it comes to cost. Hence, Hitachi is recommended only to travellers who are particularly interested in train journeys.


From old timetables

Finally, it might be interesting to see some old timetables and see how Joban line intercity trains between Tokyo and Sendai have changed in the last 50 years. Note that Iwaki station was called Taira until 1994.




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13 July, 2024

Limited Express that could be discontinued

Introduction

My website, The Red List of Trains in Japan has focused on rolling stock and especially "endangered" train types in the country. However, it should be noted that rolling stock and train services are different. Even if a company does not have a plan to replace certain train units with others, some services might be downgraded or discontinued in the near future as the demand drops. This article focuses on limited express services that could disappear within a few years.


Taisetsu

 Service commenced: 2017 
 Termini: Asahikawa, Abashiri 
 Lines (principal): Sekihoku Main Line 
 Distance: 237.7 km (147.7 miles) 
 Journey time (fastest): 3 h 37 min 
 Operator: JR Hokkaido 

Limited Express Taisetsu is a long-distance intercity service connecting Asahikawa and Abashiri in Hokkaido. There are two trains per day but do not run on certain Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays (off-season). There has been another limited express service called Okhotsk that runs between Sapporo and Asahikawa, but JR Hokkaido shortened some Okhotsk trains and renamed Taisetsu. Sekihoku Main Line has suffered from low ridership for more than 20 years as motorways opened that are shorter and allow faster speed than the railway.

On 7 June 2024, the local newspaper Hokkaido Shimbun reported that Taisetsu could be downgraded to a rapid train in March 2025, which does not require a limited express ticket. It would be beneficial for both passengers and JR Hokkaido as the fares will be cheaper and less staff than limited express will be necessary. No official announcement has been made by the company, but it is likely to take place soon.


Suzuran

 Service commenced: 1992 
 Termini (principal): Sapporo, Muroran 
 Lines (principal): Muroran Main Line 
 Distance: 136.2 km (84.6 miles) 
 Journey time (fastest): 1 h 42 min 
 Operator: JR Hokkaido 

Limited Express Suzuran runs between Sapporo and Higashi-Muroran or Muroran. Muroran has the largest port in the island of Hokkaido so that the transport between these two cities have been in high demand. Nevertheless, the ridership of Suzuran has plummeted since March 2024 as seat reservation is now mandatory. This is effectively a massive fare rise so that most passengers have shifted to coach services. A single fare between Sapporo and Muroran is 5,220 yen for Suzuran while 2,500 yen for bus (though it takes an hour longer than the train).

There is an argument that JR Hokkaido has not learned anything from the history of Japanese National Railways, which fell into a vicious spiral of fare rises and a drop in demand. This is not necessarily true as JR Hokkaido has introduced discounts for reservation in advance. However, it seems that Japanese people dislike dynamic pricing as it is hard to understand and they feel being treated unfairly when it comes to railway fares. Other intercity trains of JR Hokkaido including Kamui and Lilac have the same problem, but Suzuran has hit the hardest so far. Therefore, the president of the company conceded during a regular press conference held on 11 June that he did not persist with having limited express services, and indicated that Suzuran could be downgraded to rapid.


Kinugawa

 Service commenced: 2006 
 Termini (principal): Shinjuku (JR), Kinugawa-onsen 
 Lines (principal): Utsunomiya line and Tobu lines 
 Distance: 140.2 km (87.1 miles) 
 Journey time (fastest): 2 h 5 min 
 Operators: JR East, Tobu Railway 

As the name suggests, Limited Express Kinugawa connects Shinjuku and Kinugawa-onsen, the famous tourist spot with hot springs. There are also a few trains called Nikko that connect Shinjuku and Nikko. Both JR East and Tobu Railway provide the services (Tobu's trains are called SPACIA Kinugawa or SPACIA Nikko). The Tokyo-Nikko route had been highly competitive since 1929, but Tobu won by the early-1980s. Twenty years later, Tobu asked for JR East to establish a through-service because both Kinugawa and Nikko were suffering from a decline, as most Japanese people preferred going abroad.

The through-service has not been successful. There are many reasons for the low ridership. First, most tourists prefer road transport as most tourist spots in the area are not in the vicinity of railway stations. Second, there are only two regular services a day. There were four daily services until 2023, but both companies have decided to axe them. Instead, there are three more services that run at weekends and during high seasons. Third, JR Rail Pass does not cover Kinugawa or Nikko as the trains simply run non-JR lines, resulting in a small number of foreign tourists.

As JR East 253 series and Tobu 100 series SPACIA are expected to be withdrawn within a few years, the through-services are likely to end by then.


Fujikawa

 Service commenced: 1964 (as Express Fujikawa) 
 Termini: Shizuoka, Kofu 
 Lines (principal): Minobu line 
 Distance: 122.4 km (76.1 miles) 
 Journey time (fastest): 2 h 14 min 
 Operator: JR Central 

Limited Express Fujikawa connects two prefectural capitals, Kofu in Yamanashi Prefecture and Shizuoka. Minobu line is a rural railway and known for great scenery as trains run by Fuji River and Mt Fuji. The train named after the river runs roughly every two hours. It is not just for tourists but also for local residents and businesspeople. JR Central has introduced discount tickets for short-distance journey, allowing commuters and students to use it easily.

Even so, its future is bleak. A motorway called Chubu-Odan Expressway opened in 2021, and now the road transport can connect the two cities in just two hours. Though there are only two coach services on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, the cheaper bus will surely take train users over. It does not necessarily mean that Minobu line will close as there are quite a few people living near the railway, but it is not certain whether Fujikawa can survive. JR Central 373 series trains are quite old, but will the company introduce brand new trains to the area?


Muroto

 Service commenced: 1999 
 Termini (principal): Tokushima, Mugi 
 Line: Mugi line 
 Distance: 67.7 km (42.1 miles) 
 Journey time (fastest): 1 h 21 min 
 Operator: JR Shikoku 

Many people firmly believe that Limited Express Muroto is on the verge of its demise. It connects Tokushima and Mugi on a rural railway called Mugi line. There were three services on each direction until 2019 but declined to just one as most local residents prefer cars. Today, a train towards Tokushima leaves Mugi in the early morning and returns in the evening, suggesting that the service is used by commuters and possibly a few students.

Muruto is still faster than stopping services as its journey time is 40 minutes shorter than the slow trains. However, given that the area has been sparsely populated for more than 200 years and no sign of population growth, the future of Muroto or even Mugi line itself is uncertain. Nobody would be surprised if JR Shikoku announced the withdrawal of Muroto at any time.


Personal views

Many people blame depopulation, but the low ridership is not necessarily triggered only by that. It is noted that those running railways and the authorities in Japan are not stupid, and they have endeavoured to keep those trains. Nevertheless, not everything succeeds.

Railways in Hokkaido have always said to be extremely difficult to maintain due to the harsh climate and geographical reasons, the government should fund them. However, residents in Hokkaido generally reject the idea because of antipathy against railways (or rather, trade unions) that has lasted for decades and highly sceptical about the necessity of having them.

As I argued before, railways are not necessarily greener or better than cars. In some cases, where new roads can connect cities and towns shorter while railway routes are winding due to historical reasons, road transport is more sustainable and safer than trains. Those five limited express trains might have already fulfilled their roles and about to disappear. Anybody interested in the journey are highly recommended to plan a trip before it is too late.

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